Crispy Chicken with Potatoes and Arugula

I was looking for a dinner idea and my friend, Susan, came up with a great idea - arugula salad over steak. I wasn't in the mood for steak but the arugula salad sounded great so I cooked up some chicken. You could serve it that way but to make it an even more substantial meal, I added some mashed potatoes but you could do any of your favorite roast vegetables.

I really liked the combination of the lemony and slightly bitter arugula with the crispy chicken. The next night I added the arugula salad to some leftover salmon I had and it was great! I plan to start cooking with more arugula!!

Ingredients:

dry rub:
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. dried thyme

Chicken breasts, skin on and bone in - 1 breast per person

Yukon gold potatoes
milk
butter
salt and pepper

1/2 cup arugula
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. olive oil
salt and pepper


Directions:
1. Combine dry rub ingredients in a small paper bowl, spread all over chicken. Make sure to get under the skin of the chicken as well by gently using your index finger to pry the skin away from the meat, making sure to not poke holes in the skin and not completely detach the skin from the meat. Leave chicken on counter top for 20 minutes to allow to come to room temperature.

2. Peel potatoes and cut into chunks, place into a pot of cold water. Add a little salt and allow potatoes to cook over medium high heat until fork tender. Using your food mill, puree potatoes in batches into a bowl. Add milk and butter to potatoes and use a masher to keep pureeing the potatoes. Taste for seasoning and add more butter, salt, and pepper. Set aside in a warm place.

To Cook Chicken:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a large non stick pan over medium high heat. Once oil is hot (you'll see it rippling) place the chicken breast skin side down. Cook for 3 minutes then look at chicken, if skin looks crisp/browned, turn chicken - otherwise continue cooking chicken skin side down until skin is crispy, checking each minute.

2. Once skin is crispy, flip chicken and cook on other side for 3 minutes. Place chicken breasts on a a foil lined pan and place in oven. Cook until internal temperature of the chicken hits 154. Remove chicken and cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

3. While chicken rests heat up mashed potatoes. Also finish arugula garnish - whisk lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add arugula and toss. Allow to sit for a few minutes so lemon juice wilts the arugula slightly.

To serve - place some mashed potatoes in the middle of the plate, cover with chicken breast, then top with arugula mix. Enjoy!